quick question: how much protein can the body absorb at one time?

I have heard different things on this and I am wondering about it. I usually only put in one scoop of whey isolate in my shake which is 20 but some people put in two. If your body cannot absorb it is it being stored as fat? I would like to know because maybe I need to up my protein amount. thanks

You're going to get mixed replies on this one because even the scientists disagree on this.
Here's my take influenced by what I've read from the experts.
The body can only abosrb 40-50 grams protein at once, backed by research.
Let's say you eat 80 grams worth. After the 1st 40-50 grams is dealt with by the digestive system there is still another 30-40 to go. And then the digestive system deals with that. If its needed, its used. If its not, excess cals get converted and stored as bodyfat.

It may only be able to deal with 40-50 grams at once, but it chunks it and eventually digests and utilizes/stores as bodyfat all protein in the digestive system.

Fortunately my body is not backed by reseach so I can absorb a lot more proten than that.

...and here we go with fundamental misunderstanding of the GI tract and/or using the wrong word to describe what you are talking about. Whatever your body cannot "absorb" from the GI tract just goes on through and adds bulk to your BMs. To be converted to fat, it must be "absorbed" from the intestinal lumen and then the body eventually chemically converts what isn't used for muscular repair or other processes into fat.

There are studies which say one thing and those which say another, and then there are real life examples that conflict with the studies.

Bottom line = nobody knows for sure. Just take the amount you're supposed to be eating every day and divide by the number of meals.

My protein-o-meter says I can digest 97.5 grams of protein at a time. If you want to purchase one I am currently making / selling them for 13.95 plus shipping and handling. Act now and I will send you my book "Anabolic windows" so you can learnz all about the art of protein synthesis after your leet workout. Dont delay act now.

oooooh I see I have stumbled right into a much debated topic. whoops. I have been taking one scoop preworkout and two scoops post. Just wonderin if I am doing it right.

Find your daily protein intake requirments.
Decide how many meals you're going to eat/day.
Divide your protein macros by the # of meals you're going to eat.
That's how many grams of protein you should shoot for each meal, pre- or post workout meals too.
Then ur not only doinitrite urdoinitperfect.

The body can only abosrb 40-50 grams protein at once, backed by research.
Let's say you eat 80 grams worth. After the 1st 40-50 grams is dealt with by the digestive system there is still another 30-40 to go. And then the digestive system deals with that. If its needed, its used. If its not, excess cals get converted and stored as bodyfat.

This is simply not true. It's not stored as bodyfat. It's about calories in vs calories out. If I burn 3500 calories every day, and I eat 2500 calories every day even though I eat only 2 meals a day with 100g of protein in each of those meals, I WILL lose weight and it will NOT be stored as bodyfat.

You're going to get mixed replies on this one because even the scientists disagree on this.
Here's my take influenced by what I've read from the experts.
The body can only abosrb 40-50 grams protein at once, backed by research.
Let's say you eat 80 grams worth. After the 1st 40-50 grams is dealt with by the digestive system there is still another 30-40 to go. And then the digestive system deals with that. If its needed, its used. If its not, excess cals get converted and stored as bodyfat.

It may only be able to deal with 40-50 grams at once, but it chunks it and eventually digests and utilizes/stores as bodyfat all protein in the digestive system.

Originally Posted by joejccva71

This is simply not true. It's not stored as bodyfat. It's about calories in vs calories out. If I burn 3500 calories every day, and I eat 2500 calories every day even though I eat only 2 meals a day with 100g of protein in each of those meals, I WILL lose weight and it will NOT be stored as bodyfat.

Period.

try reading it again:

Originally Posted by ArchAngel'73

You're going to get mixed replies on this one because even the scientists disagree on this.
Here's my take influenced by what I've read from the experts.
The body can only abosrb 40-50 grams protein at once, backed by research.
Let's say you eat 80 grams worth. After the 1st 40-50 grams is dealt with by the digestive system there is still another 30-40 to go. And then the digestive system deals with that. If its needed, its used. If its not, excess cals get converted and stored as bodyfat.

It may only be able to deal with 40-50 grams at once, but it chunks it and eventually digests and utilizes/stores as bodyfat all protein in the digestive system.

This is simply not true. It's not stored as bodyfat. It's about calories in vs calories out. If I burn 3500 calories every day, and I eat 2500 calories every day even though I eat only 2 meals a day with 100g of protein in each of those meals, I WILL lose weight and it will NOT be stored as bodyfat.

Period.

Maybe you should read my post.
I wrote excess cals get stored as bodyfat, not excess protein. If excessive cals are not stored as bodyfat what happens to them...they just fly out the window go to excess calorie heaven??

To the OP: For what it's worth, I just moved to two scoops this week after months of taking only one scoop. Mind you, this is only immediately following a workout, when they say the body is most starved for protein. I also have a single scoop in the morning as part of my breakfast.
If I start adding on bodyfat suddenly instead of losing it (like I have been), I'll let ya know.
Oh, and yes, I'm doing the impossible- adding muscle and losing fat at the same time. Just not both in the extreme

To the OP: For what it's worth, I just moved to two scoops this week after months of taking only one scoop. Mind you, this is only immediately following a workout, when they say the body is most starved for protein. I also have a single scoop in the morning as part of my breakfast.
If I start adding on bodyfat suddenly instead of losing it (like I have been), I'll let ya know.
Oh, and yes, I'm doing the impossible- adding muscle and losing fat at the same time. Just not both in the extreme

Maybe you should read my post.
I wrote excess cals get stored as bodyfat, not excess protein. If excessive cals are not stored as bodyfat what happens to them...they just fly out the window go to excess calorie heaven??

edit-inafterkimsquit
Thank-you, sir.

The myth behind the body can only consume 40-50g of protein at once is just that....a myth. And thats what the OP was asking, unless I read it wrong.

Find your daily protein intake requirments.
Decide how many meals you're going to eat/day.
Divide your protein macros by the # of meals you're going to eat.
That's how many grams of protein you should shoot for each meal, pre- or post workout meals too.
Then ur not only doinitrite urdoinitperfect.

^^ That's what I was going to say.

I would think that it's like anything else and would be an individual thing, wouldn't it? I mean, everyone's daily caloric requirement is different so why would this be any different? How could anyone say that a 200lb+ guy who needs 3000+ cals a day can only absorb 40g at a time while a little midget like me who only needs under 2000cals a day can utilize that exact same amount? I just don't buy it. I'd use the advice above...no need to over think it too much.

Based on the available evidence, itís false to assume that the body can only use a certain amount of protein per meal. Studies examining short-term effects have provided hints towards what might be an optimal protein dose for maximizing anabolism, but trials drawn out over longer periods havenít supported this idea. So, is there a limit to how much protein per meal can be effectively used? Yes there is, but this limit is likely similar to the amount thatís maximally effective in an entire day. Whatís the most protein that the body can effectively use in an entire day? The short answer is, a lot more than 20-30 g. --Alan Aragon

Based on ^^^^this, figure your per-meal protein intake as per ArchAngel's post #10 if you wish to spread it out over several meals. Or eat it all in one giant meal if you subscribe to IF. Or any number in between that suits you.

No brain, no gain.

You can't out-train bad nutrition.

"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon

Nobody knows.
Sucks but it's true.
This thread is testimony to that.
And even if you wake up one day and hear about a new study that concluded you can digest x amount of protein in one go, don't trust it because it's either:
1)advertising scam article
2)another stupid "scientific study" that failed to take into account the 1.3 million parameters involved and will be quickly followed by another equally "scientific" one with the exact opposite results.
They have yet to decide if the cholesterol in eggs is good or bad for you despite a few hundred studies over the years, why would you trust them to give you a correct answer over this one?

I have heard different things on this and I am wondering about it. I usually only put in one scoop of whey isolate in my shake which is 20 but some people put in two. If your body cannot absorb it is it being stored as fat? I would like to know because maybe I need to up my protein amount. thanks

The myth behind the body can only consume 40-50g of protein at once is just that....a myth. And thats what the OP was asking, unless I read it wrong.

+1, I have followed the science on this via one Prof. Dr. Andro from SuppVersity. there has been no data to say really how much protein the body can digest. If human bodies couldnt digest for example say a daily protein intake of 1 gr. per lb of lean body weight, for me that is 150g and i ate it all in 1 meal and you "couldnt digest all that protein, you would basically crap it all out and we know that that doesnt happen. there is no evidence that you can only digest a certain amount of protein, *also i side note, on the "energy in vs. energy out" when the body takes needs energy(T.E.F) to break down carbs, fats and proteins, it takes 25% more energy then carbs and fat to break down the protein.-Ty

*my reference is SuppVersity.com, A one Dr.Prof.Andro, also a co-host on Bodyrx radio

All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the ... day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.

"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon

I'm admittedly fairly ignorant on the details of research along these lines but I did get a good chuckle out of the references heading "Scientific References." In all my years of publishing I've not once seen anyone use the "scientific" modifier. I'm not sure what the alternative would be, maybe, "Anecdotal References?"